Anthony Joshua will fight Daniel Dubois or Tyson Fury next, confirms Eddie Hearn

Eddie Hearn has revealed to Boxing News that Anthony Joshua will make his in-ring return against either Daniel Dubois or Tyson Fury in 2025.

The future of Anthony Joshua hinges on the outcome of two significant fights in the heavyweight division, according to his promoter Eddie Hearn.

Joshua saw his hopes of becoming a three-time world heavyweight champion put to the sword, for the time being, by Daniel Dubois in September.

Their Wembley Stadium showdown ended in the fifth round when Dubois, the IBF title holder, knocked the 35-year-old out with a pulverising right hand, which arrived on the back of ‘AJ’ having already been dropped in the first, third and fourth sessions.

British boxing’s talisman had hoped to face Dubois in a rematch on February 22 in Riyadh but his team agreed that he wouldn’t be ready in time, meaning the current IBF world champion will likely tackle former heavyweight king Joseph Parker instead.

Joshua is expected to return sometime in spring or early summer 2025 and as Hearn told Boxing News, he could still face Dubois.

"It might be Dubois for him," he said on Tuesday.

"I think when AJ comes back, which is probably May or June he will fight (Daniel) Dubois or Tyson (Fury) - I just don’t see any other fights."

Hearn insists a Fury-Joshua showdown would be big business if 4/7 betting favourite Oleksandr Usyk - who has beaten Joshua on two occasions - topples ‘The Gypsy King’ (11/8) for a second time in their hugely-anticipated rematch next month.

"Fury-AJ fights [are] still the biggest fights in the world," Hearn declared.

"Hopefully Fury beats Usyk and he can fight AJ for the World Heavyweight Championship, but if not AJ wants to fight Dubois."

"This is not that we don’t want the rematch, this is we’re not ready for February 22 but AJ’s desperate to fight Dubois again and I believe AJ’s next fight will be Dubois or Tyson Fury.”

Shaun Brown

• Tyson Fury
• • 
  •